Fluid circulation control for reversible fluid couplings



Dec. 27, 1949 J. E. BECKER FLUID CIRCULATION CONTROL FOR REVERSIBLE FLUID COUPLINGS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 23, 1948 Inna-111:. or

' JUL-1N E'- BEE-KER Pitta-r1112.

Dec. 27, 1949 J. E. BECKER FLUID CIRCULATION CONTROL FOR REVERSIBLE FLUID COUPLINGS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 23, 1948 IIuIEILt. EII' JEIHN E. BECKER E M/ PHSt-EII'DE- Dec. 27, 1949 J. E. BECKER 2,492,456

FLUID CIRCULATION CONTROL FOR REVERSIBLE FLUID COUPLINGS Filed Sept 23, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ITLU ntUI' JUL-IN. E.- BEE-KER B W 4 Plttnt'ne.

Patented Dec. 27, 1949 REVERSIBLE FLUID COUPLINGS John Edward Becker, Darlington, Ontario,

Canad Application September 23, 1948, Serial No. 50,793

11 Claims.

My invention relates to fluid circulation controls for reversible fluid couplings and the object of the invention is to provide a construction consisting of a pair of gear connected fluid couplings designed to rotate inopposite directions to each other, each coupling being fed from a fluid reservoir of cylindrical form and rotatable with the reversible coupling assembly.

A further and important object: of the invention is to furnish a plurality of scoop pipes which are swingable into and out of the centrifugal fluid rings formed in the couplings and in the rotatable reservoir, the actuation of such scoops enabling fluid to be removed from either of the couplings or from the reservoir in the manipulation of the reversible coupling mechanism.

Another feature of the invention is to construct the clutch mechanism with two pairs of scoop pipes which are so arranged that one scoop pipe of each pair is contained within a fluid chamber forming part of a coupling assembly,-and the other scoop pipe of each pair contained .within the rotatable reservoir.

With the foregoing and other, objects in view asshall hereinafter appear, my invention consists of a fluid circulation control for reversible fluid couplings constructed and arranged all as hereinafter more particularly described'and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view through the coupling assembly, the upper half being shown in complete cross-section and the lower half in partial cross-section.

Fig. 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken through the staggered line 2-2, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse cross-section taken through the line 3-3, Fig. 1.-

Fig. 4 is a transverse cross-section taken through the line 4--4, Fig. 1, and l Fig. 5 is a longitudinal cross-section through a fragmentary portion of the coupling, being taken through the line 5-5, Fig. '1';

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different views of the drawings. V

The complete coupling assembly incorporating the two, fluid couplings and the reservoir therebetween is designed to rotate as a unit, being carried by a driving shaft 2 and a driven shaft 3. The driven shaft 3 extends through the major part of the length of the coupling assembly and hasits inner end formed with a'bore 4 in which the reduced inner end of the drivingshaft 2-;is

mounted within needle bearings 5 contained within the bore 4. f

The driving shaft 2 carries an impeller housing 6 of orbicular form which is secured to a flange'l on'the shaft 2 by a series of studs 8. The impel ler housing 6 is connected at its periphery to a shell forming a fluid chamber 9 which is in turn connected to a rotatable reservoir l3- The shell 9 is secured to the impeller housing by a plurality of studs ll, provided to extend through'orifices in the impeller housing and being threadedinto the shell 9 whereby the shell is drawn into fluidtight engagement with the impeller. ThereserJ- voir In is similarly secured to the shell. 9 by a plurality of studs I2. l

The end wall l3 of the reservoir [0 is of conical form and is connected at its centre to a cylindrical portion 14 of the reservoir which is of reduced diameter and formed with an end wall l5 having a central orifice through which the driven shaft and sleeve assembly extends, as shallbe' herein after described. The chamber 9 is divided from the reservoir [0 by a partition wall I6 integrally formed at its periphery with the peripheral wall of the shell 9. The partition wall I6 is formed with a central orifice l1 within which the driving gear assembly is contained. The impeller housing 6 encases a runner housing 18 secured by studs l9 to a flange 20 formed upon the inner end of the driven shaft 3. The portion of the driven shaft carrying the flange 20' is mounted upon a ball bearing 2| seated upon the driving shaft 2. The impeller housing 6 car-'- ries a plurality of suitable radial impeller vanes 22 and the runner housing It a plurality of suitable runner vanes 23, the vanes supporting the usual ring members 24 and 25 so that passages for the fluid transmission of power are'formed. The inner wall 6A of the impeller housing car'- ries a central flange 26 which supports a bevel ring gear 21 concentrically positioned to the driven shaft 3. The ring gear 21 meshes witha pair of bevel gears 28 carried upon stub shafts 29 and which in turn mesh with a second bevel gear 30 mounted upon a sleeve 3| surrounding the driven shaft 3 and connected to an orbicular impeller housing 32 of the second coupling. .The sleeve 3| is formed with a flange 33 through which studs 34 extend into the central portion of the inner wall 32A of the impeller housing 32; The impeller housing 32 contains a runner housing 35, the central flange 15 of which is attached to a hub 36 keyed to the drivensha'ft 3, whereby the driven shaft 3 and runner housing rotate in unison. The impeller housing 32 con tains a plurality of suitably positioned radial impeller blades 31, and the runner housing a plurality of suitable radially positioned runner blades 38; the blades support the usual ring members 39 and 49 whereby passages for the fluid transmission of power are formed. A fluid chamber 4| is secured to a peripheral flange 42 on the impeller housing 32 by a plurality of studs 43 which draw the two parts into a fluid-tight connection.

From the foregoing description it will be ap parent that the driving shaft 2,,impe1ler housing 6, chamber 9, reservoir ||l, ring gear 21, bevel gears 28, ring gear 30, sleeve 3|, second impeller housing 32 and fluid chamber 4| will rotate in unison. Through the provision of the bevel gears 27, 28, and 39 interposed between the two impeller housings, the impeller housing 32 with its chamber 4| will rotate in the opposite direction to the driving shaft 2 and impeller housing 9. When fluid is contained within the impeller housing 6 the runner housing I8 will rotate therewith in the same direction and also rotate the driven shaft 3, to which it is connected, inthe same direction. Upon fluid being removed from the impeller housing 6 and injected into the second impeller housing 32, which rotates in the opposite direction to the impeller housing 6, the runner housing 35 will rotate in unison with the impeller housing 32 and as it is connected to the driven 3 shaft 3 will rotate the drivenshaft '3 in the .opp'osite direction to the direction of rotation of the driving shaft 2.

To remove fluid from .the impeller housing 6 and chamber 9 and also to inject fluid thereinto ,3

from the reservoir ID, a pair of scoop pipes 44 and 45 are furnished. The scoop :pipe 44 iscontained within the fluid chamber 9 and the scoop pipe 45 contained within the reservoir Ill. The

scoop pipes are swingably mounted to be swung into and out of the centrifugal fluid rings inthe chamber 9 and reservoir Hi. The mechanism to accomplish these movements in unison is shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 5. A cylindrical housing 46 surrounds the bevel gear assembly and'forms the inner peripheral wall of the reservoir HI. The wall 46 carries a mounting for a pair of scoop pipe tube supporting members 41 and 48. The member 41 has a spindle 49 extending through its bore and the member 48 a spindle 59 extending through its bore. The spindles 49 and 50 carry gear wheels 5| and 52 which mesh with teeth cut within the lower half of a ring 53 positioned within the orifice in the flange I5 and retained in fluid-tight connection therewith by a seal ring 54. The ring 53 is formed with a radially projecting lug 55 adapted to be connected to a suitably positioned operating lever, which is not shown. It will be appreciated that as the ring 53 is partly rotated through the medium of a manual lever connected to the lug 55 that such movement will partly rotate the gears 5| and 52 with their spindles 49 and 59.. The spindle 49 extends along the tube 56 which is rotatably mounted within the bore of the member 41 and to which the scoop pipe 44 is attached. The .assembly is such that the partly rotative movement of the spindle 49 will swing the scoop pipe '44 either into or out of the fluid ring in the chamber 9. In order that fluid scooped from the cham ber -9 through the scoop pipe 44 may pass into the reservoir H), a fluid injection port 51 is formed within the member 4'! and communicates with the tube 56.

The spindle 59 of the gear 52 is contained within a sleeve 58 rotatably positioned within the bore of the member 48 and from the central portion of which the scoop pipe 45 projects. The sleeve 58 is secured to the gear 52 so that it rotates therewith and swings the scoop pipe 45. In order that fluid taken out of the reservoir 0 by the scoop pipe 45 may pass into the fluid chamber 9 the member 48 containing the sleeve 58 projects through the central orifice I! in the wall l6 of the chamber 9 and is formed with a fluid ejection orifice 59 in its end. The scoop pipes 44 and 45 are so positioned in relation to the meshing of the gears 5| and 52 with the teeth on the ring 53, that rotative-movement of the ring 53 causes one scoop pipe to swing out of its fluid ring as the other scoop pipe enters its fluid ring, and vice versa.

To remove fluid from the chamber 4| of the impeller'housing 32 a scoop pipe 59 is contained within the chamber. This scoop pipe projects from a swingable hub 6| pivotly mounted upon a bracket 62 and carrying a gear wheel 63 which meshes with teeth upon the end of a sleeve 54 which surrounds the-driven shaft 3 and extends I into the reservoir ID. The end .of the sleeve 54 in the reservoir I0 is also formed with teeth which mesh with a gear 65 having its hub contained within the end of a bore formedwithin the inner peripheral wall 46 of the reservoir. The gear 55 is carried by a spindle 66 which extends centrally through a rotatable sleeve 61 carrying the scoop pipe 58. Movement of the gear 65 swings the scoop pipe v$8 into and out of the centrifugal fluid ring in the reservoir H). A passageway 69 forms a communication between the sleeve 57 and the chamber 4|, being contained within a hub 10 upon which the toothed sleeve 64 is carried. The passageway 69 opens into the chamber 4| ad jacent to the scoop pipe 60, and a second passageway communicates with and extends from the swingable hub 6| and is contained within the hub 10 to open into the reservoir l0 adjacent to the mounting of the scoop pipeGB. See Fig. 4.

To rotate the toothed sleeve 64 in order to move the gears 63 and '65 a ring 72 is secured to the sleeve and formed with a lug 13 which is attached to asuitable hand lever, not shown, so the movement of the lever partly rotates the ring 12 and sleeve 54 to obtain part rotation of the gears 63 and 55 and the scoop pipes 60 and 58. The scoop pipes 60 and 58 are so positioned in relation to the gears 63 and 65 that movement of the meshing sleeve 64 causes one scoop pipe to enter its centrif-ugal fluid ring as the other scoop pipe leaves its centrifugal fluid ring, and vice versa.

The end wall of the reservoir in is made of frustoconical form to provide a volumetric fluid capacity which is in proportion to the fluid volume requirements of the two fluid couplings and their fluid chambers. It will be appreciated that it is always necessary to have a sufficient depth of centrifugal fluid ring contained within the reservoir ID to achieve rapid filling of either of the fluid couplings, and it is for this reason that the reservoir I0 is made of the particular shape as shown in Fig. 1, wherein the end wall I 3 is formed with raised portions 14 which produce certain predetermined centrifugal fluid ring depths with certain predetermined volumes of fluid.

The operation .of the clutch mechanism is extremely simple. If the clutch is operating under direct drive, fluid is contained within the impeller housing 5 and also within the chamber 9 which communicates therewith through the orifices "16.

When running in full capacity direct drive, the scoop pipe 44 is swung upwardly out of the centrifugal fluid ring in the chamber 9 and the scoop pipe 45 is in the extended position in the reservoir In which is empty of fluid. If it is desired to slow down the output speed of the driven shaft 3 in relation to the speed of the driving shaft 2, the ring 53 is partly rotated to partly rotate the gears 5i and 52 with the resultant movement of the scoop pipe M towards and into the fluid ring in the chamber 9 and movement of the scoop pipe 45 away ripheral wall of the reservoir l8.

passed into the reservoir l9 through the port 51, and under certain adjustments the proportion of fluid in the reservoir the scoop pipe 45 and returned to the chamber 9 through the orifice 59. If it is desired to completely remove the fluid from the impeller housing 6, the scoop pipe 44 is immersed to the fullest extent in the fluid ring in the chamber 9 which will transfer all the fluid from the impeller housing 6 and chamber 9 into the reservoir 19. Air Vents 11 are provided in the central portions of the wall 6A of the housing 6 and the runner housing l8. During the forward driving operation as has been just described, the scoop pipe 33 will be in the downwardly swung position away from the fluid ring in the reservoir 13 and the scoop pipe 69 in the chamber 4! will be in the fully extended position, at which time the chamber 4| is empty of fluid.

To rotate the driven shaft 3 in the opposite di-' rection to the driving shaft 2, the fluid is removed from the impeller housing 6 and shell 9 and transferred to the reservoir accomplished by partly rotating the ring 53,

which movement through the medium of the gears 51 and 52 will cause the scoop pipe 44 to swing outwardly into the centrifugal fluid ring in the shell 9 and the scoop pipe 45 to swing inwardly from out of the fluid ring space in the reservoir Ill.

The fluid transfer allows the driven shaft 3 to come to a standstill. The ring 12 is then partly rotated to partly rotate the sleeve 64, the teeth of which sleeve mesh with the gears 53 and B5. The part rotation of the gears 63 and 65 causes the scoop pipe 38 to swing into the centrifugal fluid ring in the reservoir l3, and the scoop pipe 68 to swing inwardly from out of the fluid ring space in the chamber 4 l.

Immediately the scoop pipe 68 enters the fluid ring in the reservoir 10, fluid will be transferred from the reservoir through the scoop pipeand passageway 69 into the chamber 4! and through the orifices 18 into the impeller housing 32, which is rotating in the opposite direction to the driving shaft 2. The entrance of fluid into the impeller housing 32 causes the runner housing 35 to rotate with the impeller housing 32, and as the runner housing is attached to the driven shaft 3, the, the opposite direction driven shaft will rotate in to the driving shaft 2.

Thespeed of the reverse running driven shaft 3 in relation to the speed of the driving shaft 2, is governed by manipulation of the ring 12 whereby the scoop pipes 69 and'BB may be variably adjusted to produce a continuous flow of fluid between the reservoir Ill and the ohamber ll Air vents 19 are formed in the central portions of the wall 32A of the impeller housing 32 and the runner housing 35. To evacuate the fluid from the impeller housing 32, the ring 12 is rotated to the outward from the pe- This action causes fluid to be scooped by the pipe 44 and" I9 may be ejected through ID. This fluid removal is completely swing the scoop pipe 69 outwardly into the centrifugal fluid ring in the chamber 4| and the scoop pipe 68 inwardly from out of the fluid ring space in the reservoir l9, under which move- 5 ment the driven shaft 3 will come to a standstill.

From the'foregoing description it will be appreciated that by-my construction an infinite number of driven shaft speeds-may be obtained either in forward drive or reverse, it being only necessary to manipulate the pairs of scoop pipes to instantly produce the desired result.

What I'claim as my invention is: l In a reversible fluid clutch, a driving shaft, a drivenfshaft in alignment with the driving shaft,'fja rotatable impeller member secured to the drivingshaft and containing a plurality of radial impeller ';b1ades,- a rotatable runner member secured to the driven shaft and containing a plurality of radial blades and adapted to be driven by the impeller member through the medium of a fluid, a second impeller-member containing a plurality of radial impeller blades a gear connection extending between the first impeller member and the second impeller member and'so arranged that 25. the second impeller member rotates in the opposite direction to the first impeller member, a second rotatable runner member securedto the driven shaft and containing a'plur'ality of radial blades and adapted'to be driven'by'the second impeller so member through the medium of a fluid, a fluid reservoir .rotatable with the clutch and concentric'withthe-drivingiand driven'shafts, a pair of swingablymounted fluid ejection scoop pipes for removing fluid from the centrifugal fluid rings in 355- the two impeller members and in fluid communication with the rotatable fluid reservoir, and a pair of swin'gabl'y. mounted fluid ejection scoop pipes contained' within the rotatable fluid reservoir' for removing fluid from its, centrifugal fluid i ring" and in communication with the impeller members. j

'2. Areversible fluid clutch as claimed in claim 1, wherein each swingable fluid ejection impeller scoop-pipe swings in umson with one of the fluid 4 reservoir scoop pipes, the movement of an impeller scoop pipe towards its centrifugal fluid ring being accompanied by a movement of a fluid reservoir scoop pipe away fluid'ring and vice versa. 3. A reversible fluid clutch asclaimed in claim 1, wherein each swingable fluid ejection impeller scoop pipe swings in unison with one of the fluid reservoir scoop pipes, a pair of manually rotatable gears, a pair of gear wheels meshing with eachmanually rotatable gear, one gear of each pair being coupled to an impeller scoop pipe which swings with the movement of its gear, the other gear'of each pair being coupled to a fluid reservoir scoop pipe which swings with the movement of its gear, the movement of an impeller scoop pipe towards its centrifugal fluid ring being accompaniedxbya movement of a fluid reservoir scoop"'pipe"away fromrits centrifugal fluid ring andiviceversa...

4. 'A' reversible fluid clutch as claimed in claim 1, wherein each'swingable fluid ejection impeller scoop pipe swings inunison with one of the fluid reservoir scoop pipes; a pair of manually rotatable ring gears concentric with the driven shaft, a pair 702 of gearwheels meshing with each manually rotatable ring-gear, one gear of'each pair being coupledto-animpeller scooppipe which swings with the movement pair being coupled which swings with from its centrifugal a-eeaaoc 7- movement of an impeller scoop pipe towards its centrifugal fluid ring being accompanied by a movement of a fluid reservoir scoop pipe away from its centrifugal fluid ring and vice versa.

5. A reversible fluid clutch as claimed in claim 1, wherein each impeller member is in fluid communication with a fluid chamber rotatable therewith, and wherein the fluid ejection scoop pipes for removing fluid from the impeller members are contained within the fluid chambers.

6. A reversible fluid clutch as claimed in claim 1, wherein each impeller member is in fluid communication with a fluid chamber rotatable therewith, the fluid ejection scoop pipes for removing fluid from the impeller members being contained within the fluid chambers, and wherein each impeller fluid ejection scoop pipe swings in unison with one of the fluid reservoir scoop pipes, the movement of an impeller fluid ejection scoop pipe towards its centrifugal fluid ring being accompanied by a movement of a fluid reservoir scoop pipe away from its centrifugal fluid ring and vice versa. 7

'7. A reversible fluid clutch as claimed in claim 1, wherein each impeller member is in fluid communication with a fluid chamber rotatable therewith, the fluid ejection scoop pipes for removing fluid from the impeller members being contained within the fluid chambers, and wherein each swingable fluid ejection impeller scoop pipe swings in unison with one of the fluid reservoir scoop pipes, a pair of manually rotatable gears, a pair of gear wheels meshing with each manually rotatable gear, one gear of each pair being coupled to an impeller scoop pipe which swings with the movement of its gear, the other gear of each pair being coupled to a fluid reservoir scoop pipe which swings with the movement of its gear, the movement of an impeller scoop pipe towards its centrifugal fluid ring being accompanied by a movement of a fluid reservoir scoop] pipe away from its centrifugal fluid ring and vice versa.

8. A reversible fluid clutch as claimed in claim 1, wherein each impeller member is in fluid communication with a fluid chamber rotatable therewith, the fluid ejection scoop pipes for removing fluid from the impeller members being contained *within the fluid chambers, and wherein each swingable fluid ejection impeller scoop pipe swings in unison with one of the fluid reservoir scoop pipes, a pair of manually rotatable ring gears concentric with the driven shaft, a pair of gear wheels meshing with each manually rotatable gear, one gear of each pair being coupled to an impeller scoop pipe which swings with the movement of its gear, the other gear of each pair being coupled to a fluid reservoir scoop pipe which swings with the movement of its gear, the movement of an impeller scoop pipe towards its centrifugal fluid ring being accompanied .by a movement of a fluid reservoir scoop pipe away from its centrifugal fluid ring and vice versa.

9. In a reversible fluid clutch, a driving shaft, a driven shaft in alignment with the driving shaft, a rotatable impeller member secured to the driving shaft and containing a plurality of radial impeller blades, a rotatable runner member secured to the driven shaft and containing a plurality of radial blades and adapted to be driven by the impeller member through the medium of a fluid, a second impeller member containing a plurality of radial impeller blades, a gear connection extending between the first impeller member and the second impeller member and so arranged that the second impeller member rotates in the opposite direction to the first impeller member, a second rotatable runner member secured to the driven shaft and containing a plurality of radial blades and adapted to be driven by the second impeller member through the medium of a fluid, a fluid reservoir attached to the driving shaft impeller member and rotatable therewith, a pair of swingably mounted fluid ejection scoop pipes for removing fluid from the centrifugal fluid rings in the two impeller members and in fluid communication with the rotatable fluid reservoir, and a pair of swingably mounted fluid ejection scoop pipes contained within the rotatable fluid reservoir for removing fluid from its centrifugal fluid ring and in communication with the impeller members.

10. A reversible fluid clutch as claimed in claim 9, wherein each swingable fluid ejection impeller scoop pipe swings in unison with one of the fluid reservoir scoop pipes, a pair of manually rotatable ring gears concentric with the driven shaft and contained within the fluid reservoir, a pair of gear wheels meshing with each manually rotatable ring gear, one gear of each pair being coupled to an impeller scoop pipe which swings with the movement 'of its gear, and the other gear of each pair being coupled to a fluid reservoir scoop pipe which swings with the movement of its gear, the movement of an impeller scoop pipe towards its centrifugal fluid ring being accompanied by a movement of a fluid reservoir scoop pipe away from its centrifugal fluid ring and vice versa.

11. A reversible fluid clutch as claimed in claim 9, wherein each swingable fluid ejection impeller scoop pipe swings in unison with one of the fluid reservoir scoop pipes, a pair of manually rotatable ring gears concentric with the driven shaft and contained withi'n the fluid reservoir, a pair of gear wheel's meshing with each manually rotatable ring gear, one gear of each pair being coupled to an impeller scoop pipe which swings with the movement of its gear, and the other gear of each pair being coupled to a fluid reservoir scoop pipe which swings with the movement of its gear, the movement of an impeller scoop pipe towards its centrifugal fluid ring being accompanied by a movement of a fluid reservoir scoop pipe away from its centrifugal fluid ring and vice versa, and wherein each impeller member is in fluid communication with a fluid chamber rotatable therewith, the fluid ejection scoop pipes for removing fluid from the impeller members being contained within the fluid chambers.

JOHN EDWARD BECKER.

REFERENCE S CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,757,827 Bauer May 6, 1930 1,937,985 Bauer Jan. 15, 1935 2,029,981 Black Feb. 4, 1936 2,284,362 Birlnann May 26, 1942 2,301,294 Kuhns et a1. Nov. 10, 1942 2,423,820 Baum'ann July 15, 1947 

